A step in the right direction

I really like this article, and the events that motivated its writing:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/07/opinion/matlack-men-rape/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

As a mom, I totally get well-intentioned laws that aim to protect people from sex offenders, particularly violent ones. I mean, before we went to look at any homes (when we were shopping) I did a registry search for offenders in the area. Two of my favorite potential houses got knocked off the list before I even went to see them, because of who the neighbors were. And I feel pretty strongly that repeat offenders should have the book thrown at them....or maybe a library of them.

But.

Many of these men have been neglected by society, and have no access to the resources they need to overcome the problems (be they based in past physical or sexual abuse, some other trauma, or something chemical going wrong in their brains) that are the root of their behavior....at best they manage to "treat the symptoms" (if you'll allow me to simplify it to that) on their own for a while. But until they have access to professional help and social programs to help them, it won't be enough. The stigma is so strong. Relegating them to "ghettos" (not my term) does not help matters. At all.

I'm glad that we're making some progress, though I wonder if it's enough. One of my good friends and I often talk about "gender-inclusive feminism" for lack of a better term. Basically what we're getting at is the idea that we all need to stop freaking out so much about who is and isn't behaving as they're "expected" to, based on their gender. If we could accept people at all points along the spectrum, I think it would be another way to progress out of the mess we're in.